Editor's Choice
Afghan Insider Attack Kills Three Americans
Nato says a man wearing an Afghan army uniform turned his gun on his trainers in the latest green-on-blue attack in the country.
Three Americans – two soldiers and one civilian – have been killed in an insider attack in eastern Afghanistan, officials said.
Nato said in a statement that a man in an Afghan army uniform had turned his weapon on the international trainers.
The shooting in Paktika province is the latest in a string of attacks in which infiltrators or disgruntled Afghan police or soldiers have killed international troops working with them.
The killings threaten to shake the confidence and trust of the two sides as withdrawal of most international troops approaches in 2014.
Taliban insurgents claim most insider attacks, but the international coalition has said some of them are sparked by personal disputes.
In this case, an argument between the Afghan soldier and his trainers appeared to have led to the shooting, according to a statement from the provincial governor’s office.
The angry Afghan soldier opened fire during the argument in an Afghan National Army base, killing the three trainers and wounding three others, according to the governor’s statement.
The foreigners returned fire and killed the Afghan soldier, who had no known connection to the insurgency.
Meanwhile, in the western province of Farah, an Italian soldier was killed and three others wounded when an attacker lobbed explosives into their armoured vehicle, Italy’s government said.
The Defence Ministry said the attack came as the troops were returning to their base from training Afghan security forces.
The Taliban has taken responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi claiming that the attacker was an 11-year-old boy.
But Farah province provincial government spokesman Abdul Rahman Zhawandai said an adult male was seen throwing a grenade, then escaping by blending into the crowd at a nearby vegetable market.
Taliban insurgents have launched intense attacks across the country as Afghan forces take over most security responsibility ahead of foreign withdrawal.
Saturday’s deaths brought to 16 the number of international troops killed in Afghanistan this month.
On Thursday, seven Georgian soldiers died in a truck bombing at their base in the south.
Delivered by The Daily Sheeple
We encourage you to share and republish our reports, analyses, breaking news and videos (Click for details).